(from DaimlerChrysler
Press Release) Held on a road circuit near Dieppe, the
French Grand Prix was considered to be the European motor sport
event just after the turn of the century. Which is why, in 1908,
Benz engineers Hans Nibel and Louis de Groulart, a Belgian,
constructed three Grand Prix cars specially for this race under the
supervision of Georg Diehl. Driven by Victor Héméry, René Hanriot
and Fritz Erle, they took places two, three and seven, beaten only
by Christian Lautenschlager in a Mercedes. Benz was incidentally the
only team to have all its entrants complete the course.

Technically speaking,
the 1908 Benz Grand Prix car corresponds to the racing car standard
of the first decade of the century: 4-cylinder engine with siamesed
cylinder pairs, V-valves, twin ignition. The maximum bore permitted
by the regulations for the French Grand Prix (155 mm) was used to
the full, which, combined with the extremely long stroke of 200 mm,
gives more than 15 litres swept volume. The leaf-sprung rigid axles
are suspended on a pressed-steel sectional frame. The braking system
consists of foot-controlled outside band brakes that operate on the
transmission shafts and hand-controlled drum brakes in the
drive-chain sprockets. The front wheels have no brakes.

1909/10 the Grand Prix
car incidentally formed the basis for the legendary „Blitzen Benz" -
the then fastest land vehicle in the world.